


I Just Need Me and You Slow Dancing

by adoras_braincell



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Dancing, F/F, Fluff, Pre-Canon, Princess Prom (She-Ra)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:33:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28436184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adoras_braincell/pseuds/adoras_braincell
Summary: Adora and Catra decide to teach themselves how to dance as children after attending a Force Captains meeting where they see footage of dancing at Princess Prom.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 44





	I Just Need Me and You Slow Dancing

**Author's Note:**

> Ever since I first watched Princess Prom I have wondered how Adora and Catra learned to dance. As someone who spent over 15 years in a dance studio, I knew there was no way they could just jump right into that princess prom choreography without at least a little rehearsal before hand and I just had this image of them as children teaching each other to dance on the rooftop in the Fright Zone. I couldn't stop thinking about it and so I wrote this to satisfy my own curiosity about where they learned to dance. (Side note: If I ever met Noelle Stevenson, this is the one question I would ask)
> 
> The title comes from the song 'Slow Dancing' by Aly & AJ which someone said was a Catradora song and was stuck in my head the whole time I was writing this. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like it!

The Fright Zone – 10 Years Ago

Adora is not quite ten years old when Shadow Weaver decides it’s time for her to start taking her training more seriously. Adora thought she always took training seriously, at least more seriously than some of the other cadets her age but according to Shadow Weaver, it’s not enough.

“You are strong Adora” Shadow Weaver says, standing in front of the Black Garnet, red tendrils of magic sparking around her. “Strong but distracted.”

Adora barely suppresses a shiver. Her most recent times in the training sims had been some of her personal best but she knows better than to contradict her mentor. “I’m sorry Shadow Weaver. I’ll…I’ll work harder next time.”

“I don’t doubt that.” Shadow Weaver turns and places a hand gently on Adora’s cheek. “I know you can be better than this Adora.”

She moves her hand to Adora’s shoulder and guides her from the Black Garnet Chamber. “There is a Force Captain meeting this afternoon. I would like you to sit in on it so that you can see just how serious your training is. There is no room for distraction when facing the Rebellion.”

Adora nods once and is dismissed with a wave. On her way back to the barracks, a vent pops open and Catra launches herself out of it.

“Adora! We have to hide!”

Catra grabs her hand and the two of them take off, skidding around the corner. Adora looks over at her friend, “what happened?”

A roar from behind them sends Catra’s tail into a puff. Adora glances behind her towards the sound and then back at Catra. “What did you do?”

“I…may have covered Octavia’s armor in glue,” Catra’s tail flicks back and forth.

“Catra!” Adora whines. “Why would you do that?”

“She’s a dumb face! And she said I was slow when I put my armor on yesterday in combat training but I wasn’t!”

Adora didn’t have time to respond. A door at the end of the hall burst open and Octavia spilled out, her face livid as she charged towards them. Grabbing her friend’s hand, Adora turned and sprinted down the side passage.

“Here!” Catra says. She hooks her claws underneath a groove and pops a panel off the wall. She dives inside, the tip of her tail disappearing just as Octavia appears at the end of the passage.

“Hey Octavia!” Adora yells as she follows Catra into the vent. “Now who’s the slow one?” She slams the panel back into place, plunging them into darkness, Octavia’s roar still echoing in her ears. The panel shakes as something slams into it but doesn’t pop off.

Catra is howling with laughter. “That was awesome!”

Adora feels some of the tension slip from her shoulders and joins in Catra’s laughter. It takes them a few minutes to compose themselves, at which point the panel has stopped shaking.

“How do we get out of here?” Adora asks, eyes scanning the dark for Catra. She feels something soft and light wrap around her wrist.

“Follow me.”

Keeping her tail on Adora’s wrist, Catra leads them through a series of vents. Finally, she stops and kicks the side, popping a panel off and flooding the vent with light. The two girls crawl out and Adora realizes they are in their barracks.

“That was really stupid Catra.”

Catra shrugs, “yeah well she deserved it. We’ll be fine as long as she doesn’t tell Shadow Weaver.”

Ice forms in the pit of Adora’s stomach. She groans and Catra looks over, worried.

“Adora? What’s wrong?”

“Shadow Weaver wanted me to sit in on the Force Captain meeting this afternoon but I forgot and now I’m going to be late!” Her breath is catching in her chest, the room starting to slip around her.

“Hey, it’s okay!” Catra grabs her shoulders. “There’s still a few minutes, you can make it if you run! Besides, Shadow Weaver never gets mad at you.”

_Distracted…_

The word echoes in her head. She doesn’t want to go, she doesn’t want to face Shadow Weaver, to disappoint her again, she wants to stay here with Catra…

“You should come.” The words are out of Adora’s mouth before she realizes she’s said them.

Catra pulls back, wrapping her arms around herself. “No, I…I shouldn’t. Shadow Weaver asked you to come. Not me.”

“C’mon Catra, it will be educational!” _I don’t want to face Shadow Weaver alone._

Catra scoffs, “is that supposed to convince me?”

“Please?”

It takes a moment, but Catra softens. “Alright,” she says. “Let’s go.”

They sprint through the corridors, heading for the Command Room. They are on time, barely, but Shadow Weaver is already standing outside the door, her arms folded.

“I should have known,” she says, voice dripping with distaste as she takes in Catra and Adora’s heavy breathing and flushed cheeks.

“I’m sorry Shadow Weaver, I-I lost track of time and-” Adora stops as Shadow Weaver held up a hand.

“This is exactly what I was talking about Adora. You are distracted. I expect so much more from you because I know you are capable of so much more. You must work harder.”

Adora hangs her head, trying to fight the tears beginning to prick at the corner of her eyes.

Shadow Weaver pushes the door to the Command Room open and beckons Adora forward. “Sit,” she commands.

Adora sits.

Catra makes to follow her through the door but Shadow Weaver holds up a hand. “Not one single word, Cadet.”

Catra’s ears flick in annoyance but she nods and joins Adora at the back of the room, Shadow Weaver positioning herself directly behind them.

“Princess Prom is an event held every ten years and provides an excellent opportunity for an invasion by the Horde.” Adora doesn’t recognize the Force Captain at the front of the room but she speaks with enough command to hold the gaze of everybody in the room. Everybody except…

“Octavia” Adora breathes. Catra’s eyes flick across the room and meet Octavia’s, still burning with fury. She turns to glance at Adora and they both have to swallow their giggles. Shadow Weaver’s hands press suddenly into their shoulders and they straighten up, turning their attention back to the screen.

A video, probably from previous proms Adora assumes, takes up half the screen and shows the princesses dancing and laughing. The rest of the screen is taken up by a complicated looking tactical plan, much like the ones Adora and Catra have studied in their classes. The Force Captain is reviewing each tactical teams’ infiltration plan and as much as she tries to focus, Adora finds herself watching the dancing. A small idea begins to form in the back of her brain…

The meeting ends and Catra is immediately dismissed by Shadow Weaver. With a small wave at Adora, she turns and follows the Force Captains out of the Command Room. Adora turns back and finds her mentor holding out a tablet.

“This tablet contains the footage used at this meeting. I would like you to study it and present me with your own tactical plan for a Horde invasion of the prom in three days’ time. This should be _your own_ work.” She hands Adora the tablet. “Understand?”

“Yes Shadow Weaver.”

“Good.” Shadow Weaver gently brushes a strand of hair behind Adora’s ear. “You are dismissed.”

Adora tries to bury herself in making a tactical plan but she is drawn to the dancing in ways she can’t quite explain. Without meaning to, she begins to pick up on some of the repeated choreography in the footage and her idea from the meeting begins to grow bigger until it is a full plan. Satisfied, she completes her tactical plan, handing it to Shadow Weaver exactly three days later.

“Well done Adora.” Adora swells with pride at her mentor’s praise. She nods once and turns, forcing herself to walk until she is well away from the Black Garnet Chamber. Then she breaks into a run, bursting into the barracks where Catra is curled on her bunk, napping. Adora shakes her awake and steps back as her friend tumbles down from her bunk, yawning.

“Come with me, I want to show you something.”

………

“What are we doing on the roof?”

“Shadow Weaver says it’s time to start taking our training more seriously so if we’re going to infiltrate the Rebellion, we need to be prepared for anything these princesses throw at us. That includes dancing.” Adora glances over at Catra who does not look convinced. “Look, I’ve been practicing!”

Catra watches Adora move back and forth, her face screwed up in concentration as she makes her way clumsily through the steps. Her arms are too tense, mechanical almost, as if her body doesn’t quite know how to move in a way that isn’t fighting.

“And then, at the end, there’s a dip!” Adora beams at Catra, spreading her arms wide as she finishes. She’s out of breath, cheeks flushed, eyes shining with excitement and pride.

“Is this why you missed training yesterday?”

Adora’s face is priceless. “I missed training yesterday?” she whispers.

Catra rolls her eyes, ignoring the twinge in her chest at Adora’s panic. “You’re such an idiot!” she laughs. “Do you really think I’d let you miss training? Do you think _Shadow Weaver_ would? Of course, you didn’t.”

Adora gives Catra a playful shove, “what did you think of the dance? Pretty good huh?”

“The princesses would spot you from a mile away if you danced like that at their ball!” says Catra, returning the shove.

“I’m still learning!”

“You still look stupid!” They’re both laughing now as they chase each other around the roof.

“Well, it will be better with a partner” Adora says simply, stretching out her hand. Catra rolls her eyes once more but she takes her hand, allowing Adora to pull her close. She watches Adora correct her stance, turning her body slightly so that their hips are in line with each other. Then, Adora places her palm against Catra’s and slowly begins to lead her through the steps.

It would’ve been comical, if it hadn’t been so painful. They haven’t even gone through the whole dance once and already Catra’s toes are sore from being stepped on and Adora’s hands are so sweaty they keep slipping out of hers. Twice they both turn too fast and smack their heads together.

“OW!” Catra yells the second time this happens. “Adora this is stupid, let’s just go.”

“No!” Adora tries to keep the pleading out of her voice. She doesn’t want to stop learning how to dance. More importantly, she doesn’t want to stop learning how to dance _with Catra_. “C’mon Catra, we’ve almost got it.”

Catra shakes her head. She’s hot and tired and sore and _hungry_. Adora drops her hands, defeated and follows her down from the roof. As they cross through the Forge on their way to the barracks they are met with the sound of running footsteps. Adora pulls Catra against the wall just as a squadron of soldiers comes rushing past followed by a legion of bots and tanks.

“They must be heading to the Whispering Woods” Catra murmurs as the two of them set off again.

Adora nods, “Shadow Weaver said an advance team left this morning to infiltrate the Prom and that a second strike team would leave tonight once they were in position.”

“Those guys looked like they were in a hurry…what do you think the advance team is doing? Probably kicking some princess butt!”

“If the ball has started, they’re probably dancing since they’re, you know, _undercover_ and all.” Adora glances quickly at Catra but it’s enough. Catra caves.

“Alright fine,” she sighs. “You can finish teaching me the dance.”

Adora squeals and throws her arms around Catra.

“This is not because I like you,” Catra mutters into Adora’s shoulder. Adora pulls back, her hands still resting on Catra’s shoulders and gives her the same stupid smile she had when she finished showing Catra the dance.

“When we are Force Captains, the princesses won’t know what hit them!”

Catra rolls her eyes but she smiles at her friend all the same. “Can we go eat already? I’m starving.”

………

Catra is already dancing on the roof when Adora arrives the next day. For a moment, Adora stands there and watches her friend slowly move through the steps she claimed were so stupid the day before. Catra’s eyes are narrowed, the tip of her tongue poking out from between her lips, but her movements are sure and fluid in a way Adora’s never are.

“Hey Adora!” Catra’s voice startles her out of her thoughts and she blinks to see Catra bounding across the roof on all fours.

“You were practicing!” Adora smiles. Catra smirks and lightly punches Adora’s arm.

“Duh, this may have been your idea but I’m definitely going to be the best dancer in the Horde.”

“I thought you said dancing was stupid,” Adora laughs, darting away from her friend.

“Yeah well maybe you have a point about blending in.”

“I did get top marks in our tactical planning class.”

“Oh, shut up!” Catra launches herself at Adora, tackling her to the ground. They land on their backs, both laughing now. “You know it’s only because Shadow Weaver loves you otherwise I totally would’ve beaten you!”

Adora stops laughing suddenly, a sick feeling spreading through her stomach and chest. Shadow Weaver’s words echo through her head.

_You need to take this more seriously; you need to work harder._

_You can be better than this Adora._

“Adora?” Catra is looking at her, head tilted to one side.

“We should start practicing.” Adora pushes herself to her feet and offers Catra her hand. “Are you ready?”

Catra stands, wrapping her tail lightly across Adora’s wrist as she does. Adora’s eyes flick to her wrist and away, lost in whatever thoughts had stopped her laughter. If she had been looking, she would’ve seen the mischievous glint in Catra’s eyes as she snapped to attention, puffing her chest out, palm of her hand facing Adora.

“Are you?”

It works. Adora smiles as she takes Catra’s hand and they immediately trip over each other on the first step. Adora laughs and Catra stumbles again. She glances down at her feet, tongue pressed between her lips and they make it through a few more steps without anyone’s toes getting stepped on. Adora watches Catra’s face as they step carefully around each other. Her eyes are narrowed in focus again and she hisses in frustration when Adora trips over her foot as she twirls her out before pulling her back in.

“It would be easier if you weren’t staring at your feet, you know.”

Catra scowls, “I’m trying to concentrate and I can’t do it when you’re laughing at me.”

“I’m not laughing at you!” Catra glances up to see that Adora is not, in fact, laughing but she is smiling that dumb, big smile which for some reason is just as distracting.

Catra quickly drops her gaze. “Can we just practice this again? I think I almost have it.”

She does almost have it. In fact, it’s not long before Catra is leading Adora through the steps. She was always the faster learner and Adora is always too tense, too stiff in her movements. Even after her movements become sure and she slowly, _slowly,_ begins to loosen up, Adora finds she is happy to let Catra take the lead.

………

“I’m not going to drop you.”

Adora hesitates. They have been practicing every night for almost two weeks and they can finally make it through the majority of the dance without stumbling over each other but they have yet to try the dip at the end. Her hands rest awkwardly on Catra’s shoulders, arms locked straight and she holds herself very stiffly.

“Adora you have to relax; I’m not going to drop you!”

Placing her hands on Adora’s waist, Catra twists, slowly tilting Adora back. Adora squeezes her eyes shut, hands twisting into the fabric of Catra’s shirt. They keep tilting until Adora’s leg slides and knocks into Catra’s. Adora feels Catra’s hands slip off her waist, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

There is a grunt of pain and Adora opens her eyes to find herself flat on her back, Catra sprawled across her legs.

“I’m sorry!” Catra scrambles to her feet, reaching down to help Adora up. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay!” Adora brushes the dirt off her shirt. Catra hovers a few feet away, holding her tail between her hands and avoiding Adora’s eyes. She looks on the verge of tears. Adora reaches for her and says again, “I’m okay Catra.”

“I said I wouldn’t drop you.” Catra’s voice trembles.

“Catra my leg slipped,” Adora feels Catra tense ever so slightly when she wraps her arms around her. “It was my fault we fell. You told me to relax and I was too stiff.”

Catra sniffs and Adora squeezes her one more time. “C’mon. Let’s try again!”

“Are you sure you want to?”

Adora places Catra’s hands on her waist before resting her own on Catra’s shoulders. She is noticeably less tense and Catra takes one step, shrinking the space between them.

“I think we were too far apart last time.”

“Okay.”

They spend nearly an hour practicing the dip over and over again, their combined weight nearly knocking them over each time. In fairness, Catra only drops Adora two more times but finally, finally _,_ they manage to get it. Once, twice, three times in a row Catra tilts, dipping Adora before pulling her back up without either of them falling into the other.

“Take that princesses!” Catra whoops, skipping around the rooftop.

There is a very warm bubble forming in Adora’s chest. Excitement over finally getting the dip right she thinks but as she watches Catra pump the air with her fists, Adora realizes that bubble has been there long before the dip, long before they even started dancing. She doesn’t quite have the name for it so she just laughs as Catra grabs her and dips her again and again and again. She doesn’t drop her once.

……….

There are rumors about the squadrons who went into the Whispering Woods the night of the prom. No one has seen them since.

Adora and Catra are on the roof, like they have been every night for over a month. The steps come almost naturally now, fluid and confident, without the stumbling and head smacking.

They keep practicing.

It’s nice, dancing above the Fright Zone. Almost quiet. The one place they don’t have to be bombarded with lessons in tactical geography, strategy or planning. The one place they don’t have to run endless training simulations. The one place they don’t have to be afraid of…

“And what is all this?”

Both Adora and Catra jump, Catra’s tail bushing out before she can compose herself. They pull apart, dropping each other’s hands and snapping to attention as Shadow Weaver looms over them.

_Shadow Weaver…_

Everything about Adora is frozen. She can’t move, she can’t breathe, she can’t even hear if Shadow Weaver is still talking.

Catra’s tail flicks nervously as the question is repeated. Shadow Weaver is focused on Adora, she doesn’t even seem to realize Catra is there, but Adora is still frozen, her gaze locked on their mentor’s shoulder.

“We were just learning how to dance.” Catra hears herself say.

Shadow Weaver turns to Catra who does her best not to shrink away, “what?”

“You know, dancing.” Catra’s mouth has gone dry. “Like they do at princess prom.”

Shadow Weaver begins to swell, literally growing larger, the rooftop growing dark as she pulls all the shadows closer to her. Adora takes a step back and Catra resists the urge to grab her hand.

“Your insolence is getting out of hand, cadet” Shadow Weaver towers over them, her voice like thunder. “How dare you speak to me in such a tone. How dare you jeopardize Adora’s training like this. I should have you thrown out-” She stretches one hand towards Catra and this time she really does shrink back.

“No!” Adora appears suddenly in front of her. “Shadow Weaver it was my idea. I thought if we learned how to dance, we would be better prepared to infiltrate the princess ball next time. We’d be able to blend in with the princesses.”

Shadow Weaver looks at Adora but doesn’t say anything. Adora’s heart is slamming against her ribs, _please don’t yell, please don’t yell at me, please don’t hurt Catra._

There is a minute where nothing happens and then, Shadow Weaver shrinks back to her normal size. Still looming over both girls, she speaks, “I expect this kind of misleading nonsense from Catra but Adora…” Her voice takes on the tone she only uses with Adora, firm but almost warm. Almost kind. “Dancing is nothing more than a distraction. The Rebellion is ruthless. They will not spare you because you know how to dance. You must be more focused on your training if you want to be the kind of Force Captain I know can be.”

Adora nods, “yes Shadow Weaver.”

“Good, I’d knew you see reason.” Shadow Weaver places a hand on Adora’s shoulder and guides her towards the ladder. “Focus on your training and you will help lead the Horde to victory. I trust you will not disappoint me again.”

“I won’t.”

As she turns to climb down the roof, Adora glances back at Catra. She is staring at the ground, eyes dark, burning with emotion and Adora feels an ache in her chest leaving her there. She looks down at Shadow Weaver, waiting at the bottom of the ladder. She’s expressionless as always behind the mask but Adora knows well enough she needs to move faster if she does not want to get herself, get Catra, in any more trouble. She drops quickly to the ground and follows Shadow Weaver back to the training room. She’s put through the most rigorous training sims she’s ever experienced, one right after the other until her muscles are shaking and screaming in protest. Only then does Shadow Weaver seems confident the dancing has not sabotaged her training and she is allowed to go to bed.

………

Adora has just finished lacing up her training boots in the locker room when Catra comes bounding in. She flops on the bench next to her, armor askew and Adora resists the urge to reach out and fix it for her.

“Wanna head to the roof after training?” Catra asks twirling a training staff in front of her.

Adora hesitates. Of course she wants to practice the dance again. She opens her mouth and then closes it as the memory of Shadow Weaver looming over them floats through her brain.

“Adora?” Catra drops the staff and waves her hand in front of Adora’s face. “You there?”

“Sorry,” Adora blinks and looks over at Catra. “I was just…thinking.”

Catra rolls her eyes, “you think too much.”

Adora gives Catra a half-hearted shove before standing. She manages not to wince, feeling the dull ache spread through her muscles. “C’mon, we shouldn’t be late to training.”

Catra doesn’t ask about the roof again until after training. Adora half-hoped she’d forgotten.

“So,” Catra throws her belongings into her locker, slamming the door before they can spill out. “Do you want to go to the roof again?”

Adora hangs the last of her armor on its designated hook before tucking her boots into the corner of her own locker. “I don’t know,” she says slowly, closing the door. “Maybe we shouldn’t today.”

“I thought you liked dancing!”

“I do, it’s just…” Adora finds herself glancing all over the locker room, looking anywhere but at Catra. “Shadow Weaver told us not to.”

Leaning her back against the lockers, Catra blew a tuff of hair out of her face. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of Shadow Weaver!”

“I don’t want us to get in trouble.” Adora says quietly, staring at her shoes. It’s pathetic and she knows it but she can’t get Shadow Weaver’s anger from the previous night out of her mind or the way she towered over them. The way her voice rocked Adora to her very core.

“Don’t worry about that!” Catra turns putting her hands on Adora’s shoulders. “Trust me, I get in trouble all the time. Just do really good at your next training and she won’t be able to yell at you.”

“I can’t Catra.” Adora says after a moment still staring at her shoes.

Catra folds her arms and scowls, “fine, be a baby about it.” She turns away from Adora, storming out of the locker room.

Adora slumps onto the bench, head in her hands. She tries to reassure herself that she is doing the right thing. She and Catra won’t get in trouble and Adora can focus on her Force Captain training like she’s supposed to. This is how she becomes the best Force Captain she possibly can be, so she can lead and lead well. This is what she’s _supposed_ to do…

Once outside the locker room, Catra drops to all fours and sprints to a dark corner of the training center. She’s still small enough that she can fit behind most of the pipes and in the vents scattered across the Fright Zone. Squeezing herself into a particularly narrow vent she draws her knees up to her chest and fumes. Fumes at Adora for being such a baby, fumes at Shadow Weaver for being such a dumb face, fumes at _herself_ although she’s not entirely sure why. Something pricks at the corners of her eyes and she furiously swipes at them. Catra knows no one can see her here but still, she will _not_ cry. Instead, she scrunches herself up further, burying her face in her knees trying to block out the memory of Adora’s big stupid smile the first time they made it through the whole dance without messing up.

The Kingdom of Snows – Present Day

“It’s time for the first dance of the ball.”

Frosta’s voice is nearly drowned out by cheering and Adora is practically dragged onto the dance floor by the crowds surging forward. Spotlights sweep the dance floor as the music changes and the smallest seed of panic begins to bloom in her stomach as Adora realizes she is completely surrounded by dancing couples. She turns, eyes scanning for an escape, only to find herself face to face with Catra.

Of course.

Catra is smirking, palm outstretched towards Adora. She hesitates, pulling back ever so slightly but it is enough for Catra. Her smirk slips.

Before she realizes she’s made a decision, Adora reaches out and places her palm against Catra’s, the smirk returning to her face as if it had never left.

The movements are familiar, tugging at the back of Adora’s mind bringing back memories of a rooftop in the Fright Zone, sweaty hands, tripping feet and bumped heads. It’s been years since she danced with Catra, since she’s danced at all but the muscle memory is still there. Catra leads like she’s always done and they fall into an easy rhythm, swaying and turning around each other and the other couples.

“I don’t know about you but I am having a blast” Catra drawls.

A part of Adora, the part that is not completely and utterly annoyed with Catra, finds she missed this.

“Whatever it is you’re planning, it won’t work.”

“You sure?”

They spin away from each other and for a moment, Adora finds herself dancing with Glimmer, in hysterics over her fight with Bow and the fact that she can’t find Scorpia. Before she can even process this, Glimmer is replaced by Perfuma who asks her if she’s seen Bow.

“When did you last see Bow?” Adora asks as Glimmer reappears trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

“Isn’t he with Perfuma?”

“No! Perfuma says he’s been gone this entire time!”

They spin again and Catra takes Glimmer’s place, a gleam in her eye not unlike the one she sometimes got when she cheated during their races in the Fright Zone.

“Maybe my plan won’t work” Catra says as she grabs Adora’s waist. “But then again…”

The sense of unease Adora has been feeling all night suddenly grows to fill her whole chest, along with another feeling. That warm bubble from the rooftop all those years ago.

The one she still doesn’t quite know what to do with.

Catra twists and Adora just barely manages to grab her shoulders before she is dipped. For a fleeting moment she thinks Catra is going to drop her again but she doesn’t. Instead, she gives Adora that infuriating smirk and says, “maybe it already has.”

She pulls Adora out of the dip, “say where’s your friend? Bow?”

Twin rushes of fear and rage course through Adora as she launches herself at Catra. They tumble over each other and Adora feels a rush of air on her face as Catra’s claws just miss her. Before either of them can get really into it, there’s a cracking, rushing sound and Adora feels the temperature drop around her as Frosta traps her between several pillars of ice.

Adora desperately tries to explain about Catra, about Bow, about everything but Frosta won’t listen. She looks to her guards and orders them to remove Adora from the ball, the words barely out of her mouth when an explosion rocks the dance hall. Screams replace the music and all the attendants scatter, including Catra. Adora shouts in frustration, smashing her ice prison to pieces as she charges after Catra.

Adora is fast but Catra is faster and she sprints away, darting fleeing guests and falling shards of ice. She disappears, leaving Adora in the dance hall and as she follows, there is the smallest part of her that wishes the dance had never stopped, the music still echoing in her head and the reassuring feeling of Catra’s hand in hers, leading her through the steps.


End file.
